Hand Out
by InnitMarvelous
Summary: T'Challa visits Rhodey following the events of Captain America Civil War. AU, canon divergent


"I hope that I am not disturbing you, Colonel."

Rhodey looked over his shoulder, raising a surprised eyebrow when his sight confirmed what the accented words had already told him, "No, I'm almost finished with this." After he had spent an hour with his physical therapist, he had decided that he wanted to keep going for a little while after his session was over with. The braces Tony had made to help him walk would eventually help him to do just that, but it was going to take time, and a lot of work.

He slowly made his way down the parallel bars, towards the end where he'd left the wheelchair he'd been using since getting hurt. He refused to think of the device as _his_ because he felt like that meant he'd given up on being able to walk again. When he reached the end of the bars, he nodded at the man holding the chair and grateful he didn't offer any further help.

As soon as he was seated, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"You are welcome."

He decided to wait for the Wakandan to say whatever it was that had brought him here but when the young king still hadn't spoken after he'd taken a long drink of water, Rhodey asked, "So can I ask what brings you back here to the Avengers compound, Your Majesty?"I

"You."

"I'm sorry?"

"I said you. It is you, Colonel, who brings me here. More specifically, it is your injury that brings me here."

"I'm afraid I do not understand."

"You will but first I ask for your permission to ask a very personal question. May I?"

Rhodey looked at him a moment, trying to decide on whether or not he should trust the other man enough to say yes. Then he figured why not? After having been friends with Tony all of these years, there wasn't much T'Challa could say that would get under his skin.

"Sure," he finally said, taking another drink of water.

T'Challa didn't waste any time coming to the point, "What have the doctors said about your condition? Is it permanent?"

While it wasn't exactly a secret that his paralysis was probably irreversible, it's not something Rhodey had wanted broadcasted to the world either. The only people who knew were his doctors, Tony, Vision, and probably Natasha although he didn't have a clue where she went to now. He hadn't seen her for well over a week and didn't expect to again to be honest.

Still he doubted T'Challa was asking out of the desire to hurt him or even out of morbid curiosity so he nodded a yes, adding, "Yes, the doctors have told me that it's likely permanent."

"Then they've offered you no hope of recovering for your paralysis?"

"No, they haven't. May I ask what is the point of your questions, Your Majesty?"

T'Challa nodded, knowing that although he'd only asked two questions, he had pushed the other man as far as he was willing to go, and so answered him.

"You have been listening to the news lately and heard my speech at the United Nations?"

Rhodey nodded, "Yes, I heard it."

"Then the point of my questions, Colonel, is that if you will consent to come with me to my country, we would be able to help you in ways that your medical science cannot."

"Unless you have the means to repair the damage to my spine, I don't see-"

"We can."

Rhodey felt his eyebrows shoot up through the ceiling with that statement, "Wow you really have been keeping things from the rest of the world if you can do that."

"Indeed."

"Can I just ask, _why_ now? Why come to me and offer to help me _now_ , Your Majesty?"

"I am sorry that I could not offer our help sooner, Colonel, but I had other matters to attend to in Wakanda."

Like claiming then fighting to keep the throne of his father. But that was not only an internal affair to his country but a very personal one to his family and T'Challa didn't feel the need to share every little detail with an outsider

"However I am here now, and if you willing to accept our offer, you," he paused looking down at the devices around the other man's legs, "will be able to walk again without these."

Taking another drink of water, Rhodey considered his offer. If it's true, if they could repair the damage to his spine and help him to walk again, what did he have to lose? The braces Tony had made for him were working but they'd take time for him just to be able to walk again with crutches or a cane. He appreciated his friend's efforts but hated it that Tony every time saw him unable to really walk, he blamed himself for what happened in Germany, always would truth be told. If he accepted the king's offer, and the Wakandans really could help him, then it was a win for Tony as well as him.

"Okay, I accept. When will we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready to travel, Colonel."

Out of the corner of his eye, Rhodey for the first time saw one of the Dora Milaje. The woman must have been standing stone still in the shadows because he didn't notice her until she took out a phone to make a call.

"I can be ready to leave in the morning."

"We will leave in the morning then."

Rhodey nodded, "If you'll excuse me then, I need to talk to some people. I guess I'll see you next tomorrow morning?"

"Until tomorrow morning, Colonel."


End file.
